Malaysia beats Thailand to become Southeast Asia's most visited country for second consecutive year

By Hoang Phong January 11, 2026 | 07:40 pm PT

People wait before crossing a road in front of a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur on June 2, 2022. Photo by AFP

Malaysia has surpassed Thailand for the second consecutive year to become the champion in regional tourism race in 2025 thanks to its flexible visa policy and infrastructure improvements.

Malaysia welcomed 38.3 million foreign arrivals in the first 11 months of 2025, exceeding the total recorded for the whole of 2024, according to Tourism Malaysia under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Thailand received only 32.9 million arrivals for the whole 2025, a 7% year-on-year decrease in what was also the first annual drop in international arrivals in a decade outside the pandemic period, Bloomberg reported.

Once a tourism powerhouse in Southeast Asia, Thailand struggled with setbacks last year due to kidnapping, deadly earthquake, border tensions with Cambodia and severe flooding.

Malaysia has become a bright spot in the region.

In May Malaysia announced that its visa exemption for Chinese travelers would be extended for another five years, with the option to extend it for an additional five years.

The waiver was first rolled out in December 2023 and has extended until 2026.

The Malaysian government also expanded international air routes and upgraded Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Terminal 1.